Page 1 

This working document was prepared by NIOSH’s Division of Compensation Analysis and Support (DCAS) or its contractor for use in discussions 

with the ABRWH or its Working Groups or Subcommittees. Draft, preliminary, interim, and White Paper documents are not final NIOSH or ABRWH 

(or their technical support and review contractors) positions unless specifically marked as such. This document represents preliminary positions taken 

on technical issues prepared by NIOSH or its contractor. NOTICE: This document has been reviewed to identify and redact any information that 

is protected by the Privacy Act 5 USC §552a and has been cleared for distribution. 

National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health 

 Division of Compensation Analysis and Support 

 

DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH & HUMAN SERVICES

 

 

 Memorandum

To: Mound Plant Working Group 

From: Peter Darnell, DCAS Health Physicist 

Subject: Clarification of Mound Database Use

Date: October 24, 2016 

BACKGROUND 

During development of the NIOSH responses to the Mound Plant Technical Basis 

Document (TBD) Issues Matrix, questions arose regarding the validation and 

verification (V&V) of several databases used in the reconstruction of doses at Mound. 

During the subsequent Mound Working Group (WG) meeting, the WG requested 

clarification of the hierarchy of records used when conducting dose reconstruction. This 

memorandum provides a discussion of how NIOSH uses the PURECON (short for 

Plutonium [PU] RECONstruction) and PORECON (short for Polonium [PO] 

RECONstruction) databases. 

As discussed during the September 29, 2016, WG meeting, the University of Lowell (Meyer and 

Reeder 1992) created the PURECON database from primary records (i.e., hand written, Kardex, 

and logbooks). The MJW Corporation’s internal dose reconstruction project at Mound, called the 

“Pre-1989 Dose Reconstruction” project continued work with Mound dosimetry data. . The 

Mound Site (MJW dose reconstruction project) created the original PORECON database from 

information recorded on bioassay cards and their sources in the original chemistry logbooks. 

Essentially, MJW conducted a 100% validation and verification of pre-1989 internal doses 
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This working document was prepared by NIOSH’s Division of Compensation Analysis and Support (DCAS) or its contractor for use in discussions 

with the ABRWH or its Working Groups or Subcommittees. Draft, preliminary, interim, and White Paper documents are not final NIOSH or ABRWH 

(or their technical support and review contractors) positions unless specifically marked as such. This document represents preliminary positions taken 

on technical issues prepared by NIOSH or its contractor. NOTICE: This document has been reviewed to identify and redact any information that 

is protected by the Privacy Act 5 USC §552a and has been cleared for distribution. 

against primary records for both PURECON1and PORECON2. These combined efforts resulted 

in the PURECON and PORECON databases as we now use them. 

The MJW reports on the project (MJW 2002a, MJW 2002b) provide details of the review of the 

PURECON database and creation of the PORECON database, including QA/QC methods for 

data entry. The PURECON and PORECON databases, at this time, exist as reference sources of 

information for dose reconstruction. DOE records from the employee files provide internal dose 

monitoring data for individual dose reconstructions. 

NIOSH used PURECON and PORECON data for the NIOSH/ORAUT internal coworker dose 

studies documented in the technical information bulletin, Internal Dosimetry Coworker Data for 

the Mound Site, Rev 02 (ORAUT 2012). NIOSH did not conduct a V&V of these Mound 

databases for this technical information bulletin. The Technical Basis Document for the Mound 

Site – Occupational Internal Dosimetry (ORAUT 2013) addresses use of the databases: 

In Section 5.5.1.2, Polonium: 

Primary and secondary records exist in most Mound claim files for polonium bioassay. The dose 

reconstructor should typically use the bioassay results listed in the PORECON database as most 

convenient. However, it is important to review all claim records to ensure the database reflects 

all listed bioassay results in the primary data. 

In Section 5.5.2, Plutonium: 

Primary and secondary records exist in many Mound claim files for plutonium bioassay. The 

dose reconstructor should typically use the listed bioassay results in the PURECON database 

as most convenient. However, it is important to ensure that the database reflects all bioassay 

results that are listed in the primary data. The dose reconstructor will also need to ensure that 

PURECON reflects earlier measurements using the gross alpha methodology and ensure that 

the gross alpha samples were taken as a plutonium intake monitoring program rather than 

another radionuclide that used the gross alpha bioassay method (ORAUT 2013). 

And again in Section 5.8.2: 

The dose reconstructor should keep in mind that both gross alpha and alpha spectrometric 

programs were used to detect 238Pu, and that the PURECON database results should be 

 

1

 Pre-1989 Dose Reconstruction Project Phase I Final Report Section II, Part C 

2

 Pre-1989 Dose Reconstruction Project Phase I Final Report Section II, Part D 
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This working document was prepared by NIOSH’s Division of Compensation Analysis and Support (DCAS) or its contractor for use in discussions 

with the ABRWH or its Working Groups or Subcommittees. Draft, preliminary, interim, and White Paper documents are not final NIOSH or ABRWH 

(or their technical support and review contractors) positions unless specifically marked as such. This document represents preliminary positions taken 

on technical issues prepared by NIOSH or its contractor. NOTICE: This document has been reviewed to identify and redact any information that 

is protected by the Privacy Act 5 USC §552a and has been cleared for distribution. 

verified against the primary data in claim files, even though PURECON results are typically 

listed as gross alpha results when this is the case (ORAUT 2013). 

As a general procedure, NIOSH conducts dose reconstruction using the primary records 

contained in the claimant files. NIOSH may also use the databases as convenient listings of the 

claimant information but their use is reconciled to the primary records. If variations from the 

general procedure occur, NIOSH validates – to the extent practical, all information used in dose 

reconstruction calculations. 

[Signature on File]

Peter A. Darnell, CHP, RRPT 

Health Physicist 
Page 4 

This working document was prepared by NIOSH’s Division of Compensation Analysis and Support (DCAS) or its contractor for use in discussions 

with the ABRWH or its Working Groups or Subcommittees. Draft, preliminary, interim, and White Paper documents are not final NIOSH or ABRWH 

(or their technical support and review contractors) positions unless specifically marked as such. This document represents preliminary positions taken 

on technical issues prepared by NIOSH or its contractor. NOTICE: This document has been reviewed to identify and redact any information that 

is protected by the Privacy Act 5 USC §552a and has been cleared for distribution. 

REFERENCES

Meyer, H.E, and D.L. Reeder, Plutonium Historical Dose Reconstruction Program, 

(unpublished), July 31, 1992. SRDB Reference ID 38267. 

Meyer, H.E., History of Personnel External Dosimetry Program at the Dayton Project and 

Mound Laboratory, 1946 – 1993 (Meyer 1994a), EG&G Mound Applied Technologies, 

Miamisburg, Ohio, March 1994. Volume I, 1946 to 3/22/66. SRDB Reference ID 3268. 

Meyer, H.E., History of Personnel External Dosimetry Program at the Dayton Project and 

Mound Laboratory, 1946 – 1993 (Meyer 1994b), EG&G Mound Applied Technologies, 

Miamisburg, Ohio, March 1994. Volume II, 3/28/66 to 7/15/69. [SRDB Ref ID 3276] 

Meyer, H.E., History of Personnel External Dosimetry Program at the Dayton Project and 

Mound Laboratory, 1946 – 1993 (Meyer 1994c), EG&G Mound Applied Technologies, 

Miamisburg, Ohio, March 1994. Volume III, 7/15/69 to 11/76. SRDB Reference ID 3281. 

Meyer, H.E., History of Personnel External Dosimetry Program at the Dayton Project and 

Mound Laboratory, 1946 – 1993 (Meyer 1994d), EG&G Mound Applied Technologies, 

Miamisburg, Ohio, March 1994. Volume IV, 1/77 to 9/19/78. SRDB Reference ID 3288. 

Meyer, H.E., History of Personnel External Dosimetry Program at the Dayton Project and 

Mound Laboratory, 1946 – 1993 (Meyer 1994e), EG&G Mound Applied Technologies, 

Miamisburg, Ohio, March 1994. Volume V, 11/3/78 to 6/3/82. [SRDB Ref ID 3297].

Meyer, H.E., History of Personnel External Dosimetry Program at the Dayton Project and 

Mound Laboratory, 1946 – 1993 (Meyer 1994f), EG&G Mound Applied Technologies, 

Miamisburg, Ohio, March 1994. Volume VI, 10/11/82 to 2/23/87. [SRDB Ref ID 3299].

Meyer, H.E., History of Personnel External Dosimetry Program at the Dayton Project and 

Mound Laboratory, 1946 – 1993 (Meyer 1994g), EG&G Mound Applied Technologies, 

Miamisburg, Ohio, March 1994. Volume VII, 11/18/87 to 10/25/93. [SRDB Ref ID 3303].

Meyer, H.E., History of Personnel External Dosimetry Program at the Dayton Project and 

Mound Laboratory, 1946 – 1993 (Meyer 1994h), EG&G Mound Applied Technologies, 

Miamisburg, Ohio, March 1994. Volume VIII, Neutron Film Calibrations. [SRDB Ref ID 3315].
Page 5 

This working document was prepared by NIOSH’s Division of Compensation Analysis and Support (DCAS) or its contractor for use in discussions 

with the ABRWH or its Working Groups or Subcommittees. Draft, preliminary, interim, and White Paper documents are not final NIOSH or ABRWH 

(or their technical support and review contractors) positions unless specifically marked as such. This document represents preliminary positions taken 

on technical issues prepared by NIOSH or its contractor. NOTICE: This document has been reviewed to identify and redact any information that 

is protected by the Privacy Act 5 USC §552a and has been cleared for distribution. 

Meyer, H.E., History of Mound Bioassay Programs, EG&G Mound Applied Technologies, 

Miamisburg, Ohio, September 1992. MLM-MU-93-93-0003. SRDB Reference ID 1962. 

MJW Corporation, Pre-1989 Dose Assessment Project, Phase I Final Report, Volume I (NonSUD Version), April 2002, (MJW 2002a) Prepared for BWXT of Ohio, Inc. SRDB Reference ID 

8745.

ORAUT (Oak Ridge Associated Universities Team), ORAUT-OTIB-0061, Internal Dosimetry 

Coworker Data for the Mound Site, Rev 02, April 13, 2012, (ORAUT 2012) SRDB Reference ID 

111394 

ORAUT (Oak Ridge Associated Universities Team), ORAUT-TKBS-0016-5, Technical Basis 

Document for the Mound Site – Occupational Internal Dosimetry, Rev 02, April 18, 2013, SRDB 

Reference ID 124215